Amazon Loses Court Appeal Over €746M GDPR Fine

After four long years, Amazon lost its appeal over one of the largest privacy fines ever issued under the GDPR. 

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In 2021, the Luxembourg National Commission for Data Protection (CNPD) fined the tech giant a staggering amount of €746 million ($812.4 million) for how it handled user data for targeted advertising, stating that it had breached the GDPR by processing personal data without obtaining proper user consent. Amazon, in turn, claimed that the fine was disproportionate and based on subjective, informal interpretations of the law. In its March 18 ruling, a local administrative court upheld the decision. 

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The complaint was filed in Luxembourg, Amazon’s HQ location, but refers to events that took place in France, as users claimed they were not asked to provide consent before Amazon processed their information. A digital rights group led the complaint, bringing together thousands of users. This case highlights the central role of such advocacy groups.

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